Welcome to Our Worlds
by Colors del Cielo
Summary: Welcoming 7 others under his "Sky," Tsuna attempts to save them all from their personal demons, even while running from his own. Let's take a look at the world through their senses, shall we? - AU, multi-chap, focuses on all the Guardians


_BLACK: the new phase of the moon, what people see right before waking up, the absence of light_

"Welcome to Our World(s)" is a kind of slice-of-life fic in the beginning, but it'll build up to a _real_plot later on. Each chapter from here on out will concentrate on a certain Guardian, until all of them are introduced. This will get kind of long (at least 10 chapters brainstormed), and I do not guarantee fast updates. I apologize for any confusions about the characters; hopefully they will be explained later on. I also warn you all that, although the setting is in our day and age, it won't be entirely realistic at points, so just bear with me...

_DISCLAIMER: This entire story is told using a non-expert opinion that has zero experience with synesthesia and is in no way guaranteed 100% scientific or historic accuracy. Also, not all synesthetes experience problems. These characters are only portrayed with them for the effect of drama and uniqueness._

Proofread and edited by the amazing Ryu! Thank you so much~

Katekyo Hitman Reborn! and characters © Amano Akira

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><p><em><strong>CHAPTER 1 ~ BLACK<strong>_

_Synesthesia (n.) – meaning "joined sensations," the neurological condition in which one sense or cognitive pathway is connected to a second one within the brain. This causes an involuntary overlap of the senses or of cognitive ideas. For instance, one would see an inherent color in certain numbers, or "feel" different musical instruments "on" different parts of their body._

_People who have this condition are called synesthetes. Although many hardly notice the impact synesthesia has on their lives, various well-known synesthetes are lauded for their accomplishments in art, music and writing, which may or may not have been brought about by their condition._

There was a sudden _slap!_ as the magazine viciously met the surface of the tabletop.

"_This_ is a _load_ of—"

"Whoa now, Tsuna! You shouldn't use that kind of language!" Dino Cavallone chastised the infuriated man, accidentally spewing half-eaten cereal across the table as he did so.

Sawada Tsunayoshi gave the mess a bemused glance before throwing a napkin at the slob he called his half-brother. Dino grinned ruefully and began cleaning up. His half-Japanese brother, Tsuna, merely shook his head, chocolate brown hair swaying as he did so.

In order to properly see where he was cleaning, the tall, 35-year-old Italian had to brush sandy blonde hair out of his dark eyes. Since he woken up only minutes ago, Dino still wore the loose white T-shirt and fleece pants he had slept in the night before. Tsuna, in anticipation of spending the day running around town doing groceries and shopping, already wore comfortable dark beige pants and an unzipped sleeveless hoodie. Underneath that, he wore a cotton long-sleeved shirt as protection against the September chill.

After making sure the older man was properly cleaning up the mess he'd caused, Tsuna returned his warm brown eyes, now turned hard and stern, back to the offending magazine article.

His brown hair swished from side to side as he shook his head and continued, "This doesn't even address the real issue!"

Tsuna scanned the rest of the passage, quoting as he read. "This article only talks about 'the _minor psychological impact _it _may_ have on patients suffering from this _rare and irreversible disease_.' And that's only one sentence out of the whole thing! The rest of this article treats synesthesia like some gift from heaven! Between you and me, we knowthat's not true!"

"Aw, is little Tsuna gettin' vindictive? How my baby brother has grown up!" Dino teased, reaching over to ruffle his half-sibling's hair, making it more tousled than usual.

"Hey, Dino! Cut that out!" Tsuna scolded, lightly slapping away the elder's hands. "I'm serious! Scientists like this 'Verde' think that they can just analyze and solve anything without any real effort. Things like synesthesia are so beyond their true understanding. To make up for it, they label everything with fancy words and cover them up with vague explanations. They choose to ignore the undesirable side of things in favor of the brighter, more appealing stories."

In a quieter voice, Tsuna added, "And they ignore their morality in order to solve these so-called wonders."

Disregarding that last comment, Dino mischievously played the devil's advocate, saying, "In Italy, there are plenty of musicians who'd die for that kind of supernatural connection to their music. I've even heard rumors of a boy prodigy who could 'paint' his music as well as play it. There can't be that many bad cases, can there? I mean, I know where you're coming from . . ." He again brushed hanging strands of hair out of the way in order to see the half-Japanese's face when he responded.

Tsuna's mouth turned down in a grimace. "_NO._ I did some research. The media covers up a lot more than you think."

Turning his eyes toward the window, he exhaled slowly, a weary sadness spreading across his face. "It's shameful how the press glorifies everything in order to receive more public approval."

"And guessing from your statements, you're going to do something about it? I mean you can't criticize these people unless—"

Tsuna scoffed. The passion returned to his voice, burning out the previous gloom, "_Actually, I am_." Dino's eyebrows shot up at this, not expecting such a quick confirmation. His playful tone of voice turned somber, for once seriously considering what the younger man was telling him.

"Tsuna, I hope you're not seriously doing anything now, right after graduating college! And _not_ after finally finding a safe place to live. You can't risk drawing attention to yourself, even if it's been over a decade since we got you back."

Twirling his spoon, Tsuna observed his bent reflection in the metallic surface. "I've already contacted the Namimori Council. They've agreed that I can start a clinic for synesthetes, using an unused conference room for a meeting place. I already know synesthesia is irreversible—I don't need some scientific research to tell me that—but no one is truly fighting the negative effects it has on those who dosuffer from it. So that's what I'm going to do."

"Hey, hold your horses, Tsuna! You're only twenty-five years old! If they find you when you're still so young—" Dino started, alarmed.

Tsuna leaned back in his chair, rolling his eyes. Dino noticed this and frowned. Realizing that his original plan of action wasn't going to work, he approached the argument from another side.

"You also need a nice-paying job before you can start anything like this program. You've got a decent education, despite all your 'no good' days in junior high school. Use it for something more selfish for once in your life! I came all the way from Italy to spoil you like a big brother should, so just sit back and enjoy yourself a bit."

During his short speech, Dino had gotten to his feet and leaned over the kitchen table, staring imploringly into Tsuna's defiant eyes. To his despair, there was a grim, unmoving expression on the other's face. After a moment of silence, Dino sighed and sat back down with a noisy _whumph_ of air. He exhaled just as loudly. The smaller man simply smiled, knowing he had won their verbal bout.

". . . all right, Tsuna. I know it's your decision," Dino murmured, shaking his head helplessly. "But after all this trouble, you can't just throw your happiness away! Don't do this to yourself. _Please_."

"It's fine. _I'm_ fine. I understand that you're concerned," Tsuna stated, standing up to place his empty dishes into the sink. He paused, contemplatively glancing out the window again.

"I'll try to find a part-time job on the side, if I can manage it. But my program is going to come first. I feel like this is so much more important than anything else I've done with my life, you know? And it's especially because of my situation that I want to help others." Tsuna paused and inhaled slowly, smiling softly. "This is the best way I can do that."

"All right, all right. I get it. It's just . . . I only want you to be safe and happy. After all you've done for others, including me, you deserve something more in return. Youneed to treat _yourself_ just as kindly as well. Stop shouldering everyone's burdens, Tsunayoshi."

They exchanged stares with one another before Dino chuckled, reaching out to mess with his brother's hair once more. He then dropped his dirty bowl into the sink and tromped back up the stairs to change into his business attire.

"It's your turn to wash the dishes, lil' bro!" Dino's singsong voice drifted down, the falsely cheerful tone still making Tsuna laugh as he started the chore.

Shutting off the faucet once he was done, Tsuna leaned against the kitchen counter, glad to have told Dino immediately instead of waiting until later. Full of purpose, he strode to the telephone and removed the receiver from its cradle on the kitchen wall.

_Time to officially register the clinic now_, Tsuna mentally sighed, dialing the number of the Namimori Community Association. _I think Cielo would be a good name for this program . . . the Italian word for the "sky" that encompasses and watches over us all . . ._


End file.
